When Nick Quatrano was young, he wanted to be a golf course superintendent.
He majored in crop and soil science at Virginia Tech. He graduated, became superintendent of a Ridgefield golf club, and loved it.
After 5 years he was offered a chance to manage his wife’s family’s 30-acre farm in Watertown, so her parents could retire.
When their first child was born, he stepped away from the daily stress of farming. He landed a job as property manager on a private estate in Mt. Kisco, New York, overseeing all turf, gardening and landscaping. That led to a role as superintendent of buildings and grounds at Quinnipiac College.
In May, Quatrano became Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department’s parks superintendent. He’s in charge of hundreds of acres of parks, including Winslow and Baron’s South, along with Compo and other beaches. And Longshore.
So — among many other responsibilities — Quatrano really is a golf course superintendent.
Nick Quatrano, in his Parks & Rec office.
His current job is his “ideal job.”
He took over the position — vacant since the departure of well-regarded Michael West — as the parks’ busy summer season began. He inherited a “tremendous” team — in the Parks & Rec office, and on his maintenance crew — and dove right in.
Beaches are a new responsibility for him. “It’s been cool to learn,” he says. “Water adds such an element of challenge. But it’s a tremendous resource. It’s beautiful. And it adds so much value to the town.”
There is plenty of work to be done on land too, of course. “It’s no mystery that deferred maintenance needs to take place,” he notes.
Another area of attention is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. Many of Westport’s facilities lag behind.
The new Compo Beach playground is ADA-compliant. But many other facilities in town are not. (Photo/DinkinESH Fotografix)
“It’s of paramount importance to (Parks & Rec director) Erik Barbieri, and the whole department. It’s a big factor in how projects will get designed.”
The town’s athletic fields are an important part of the parks superintendent’s portfolio. Quatrano knows they are over-used, and often poorly irrigated.
He also knows there support in town for artificial turf, at several sites.
Wakeman Field (center left) has synthetic turf. The field to its east (center bottom) is grass. It is rutted, and often closed after even slight rain. (Drone photo/David Pogue)
Quatrano calls himself “a plant and soil nerd. I like taking care of grass. I prefer it, if all the variables are within my control.”
However, he adds, “I see the advantages of synthetic fields. They can be used in all kinds of weather.
“I understand it’s a divisive topic in town. We have to strike a balance, between managing what we have and best serving everyone’s needs.
“We have to figure out how many synthetic fields we need. If we add more, we can rest our grass fields and get the optimal use out of them.”
The ultimate decision, he says, is “a question for the operations people.”
Quatrano has walked the Baron’s South property several times. He appreciates the work being done near the Senior Center, but because of the challenging topography sees the rest of the 23-acre property as a “passive park.”
“It’s overgrown with invasives,” the parks superintendent says. “We need a balance between naturalized and manicured areas.” He would like to see a “nice woodland garden, with native trees and improved walking trails.”
Baron’s South: 23 acres, a few steps from downtown Westport. (Photo/Wendy Crowther)
Also on Quatrano’s to-do list: collaborating on the master plan, and upgrading the 4 playgrounds under Parks & Rec’s purview.
The parks superintendent hears many opinions — often competing, even contradictory — from other public officials, and many private citizens.
He appreciates feedback, and finds it helpful to field calls and read emails.
“Citizens know these properties best,” Quatrano says. “There are 25,000 pairs of eyes here. I get photos every day of issues people see.” They includes “trash in the river by the Levitt Pavilion, tree branches above a picnic table — you name it, I hear about it.”
He recently heard about the shabby condition of the Kings Highway cemetery, on the Wilton Road corner, from a Westport resident.
Though Parks & Rec has not been directly responsible for its upkeep, Quatrano sent a crew.
“It’s a tricky property. There’s no access for equipment. All the work has to be done by hand,” he says.
The work got done. Brush was removed; it’s safer and more sightly now. He hopes to get a state grant to restore some of the headstone too.
Kings Highway cemetery, after Parks & Rec clean-up. (Photo/Harris Falk)
So — after nearly 6 months on the job — what is Quatrano’s favorite park in town?
“I really like Wadsworth Arboretum,” he says, about the 12 acres of woods and trails adjacent to Earthplace. “It’s peaceful.”
He also enjoys Grace K. Salmon Park, by the Saugatuck River on Imperial Avenue. “You can walk to town, and the Farmers’ Market.
“Plus, it’s quiet. It’s tough to find quiet space in this town.”
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Mr. Quatrano is right that there is a debate in Town about whether to install more artificial turf in our parks. But he’s wrong if he thinks that there’s a debate among scientists about the hazards posed by this material. In fact, the science is clear that this stuff is bad for our health and the environment. All artificial turf–even the kind w/o “crumb rubber” (which the Town has already banned)–presents a host of issues, including the release of carcinogens & microplastics. Indeed, the evidence against AT only grows stronger each month. We now know, for example, that players pick up toxic PFAS on their skin after playing on AT, which is a huge problem because PFAS is linked to cancer, birth defects, and most recently, to reproductive health. (Do we really want to jeopardize our athletes’ future ability to have children?)
We also know that the plastic blades and infill break down over time due to wear, UV exposure, and weather and that those tiny plastic particles are being dispersed into the environment. A single turf field sheds hundreds of pounds of microplastics each year. Those microplastics are entering the food chain and air and working their way into our bodies, including our lungs, ovaries, and testes, where they are suspected of causing cancer, disrupting endocrine production, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and creating other health problems.
AT fields also shed larger plastic particles, which also pollute our marine environments. Scientists in Barcelona found, for example, found that fibers from AT fields accounted for up to 15% of plastics larger than 5mm found in the second longest river in Spain. Here in our own state, experts are warning that AT is putting our entire shellfish industry at risk.
And finally, do not be fooled by manufacturers’ claims that AT can be recycled at the end of its 10-year useful life. Just a few weeks ago, the Denmark-based recycling company that had planned to open the FIRST turf recycling facility in the US went bankrupt. This confirms what environmentalists have been claiming for years: that there’s no way to recycle this material, which means that it winds up in landfills where it continues to pollute the environment forever.
The idea that Westport would put the health of its residents at risk and ruin our water simply to satisfy the demands of certain athletes for more playing time is appalling and shows a real lack of judgment—if not moral fiber.
So glad Barons South is receiving the focus and attention it deserves. It is a town Jewell and deserves to be cared for , not neglected. Welcome and thank you, Nick.
As a P & Z member long in support of Barons South it is gratifying to hear that there exists in our administration a long overdue appreciation for its potential as open/green space. Once again, I want to emphasize that along with Winslow Park. We have a wonderful green belt across the center of our town, and it needs to be preserved in its entirety. Let’s hope Nick gets the administrative support he deserves.
While I commend Mr. Quatrano’s enthusiasm regarding all the projects he is addressing the one concerning project would be the expansion as opposed to the total elimination of AT fields. Valerie Seiling Jacob’s has summarized the issues and dangers of using AT in lieu of grass. So much solid and credible research has been done showing why AT should never be used. A great authority on this subject is Richard Harris who is a fellow Westporter. Mr. Quatrano would benefit by meeting with Mr. Harris on this specific subject.
Welcome to Westport, Mr. Quatrano.
On the issue of exposing our children to the health risks associated with artificial turf, there should be an ordinance regulating its use (or non use) on town land and facilities. This type of far-reaching and consequential decision should not be left to a couple of town employees to decipher. The RTM must research, deliberate with constituents, and adopt an ordinance once and for all.
I too have a vision for Baron’s South. The terrain is appropriate for trailblazing and native habitat. Further, I would manicure the grounds around the historic building and fountain as demonstration gardens, with an initiative to engage Master Gardeners and Garden Club volunteers to develop and maintain. Children could be involved in a sensory garden. Native plant applications for landscape could be developed. An evergreen tapestry garden. A rose garden. A “community dahlia garden,” replete with an annual exhibition. A Native Preserve? Seems like we endorsed this idea once before? So many thoughts for Baron’s South, even with the inclusion of affordable housing initiatives.
Oh, and one more idea: An award winning community garden on a sunny, flat, accessible and clean plot of land. I know of two great plots that could be gardened yesterday: Burr Farm and the southern most border of Winslow (do not bifurcate Winslow).
Last year about a dozen neighbors near downtown pooled funds to run extensive water testing of the town’s municipal water supply. The PFAS test results came back positive. Given that the health risks – both from drinking water and direct exposure – why would Westport want to make the problem worse by adding more synthetic fields???? https://gosimplelab.com/4XHW5A/all-results
When you find yourself thinking that exposing kids to toxins might be “worth it,” think again.
https://www.ehhi.org/turf.php
https://www.ehhi.org/plastics.php
Thanks to Valerie Seiling Jacobs for pointing out the health consequences of of artificial turf (plastic blades extruded through a base with the aid of PFAS chemicals, which, when at the end of their 8-10 year life will not be accepted in any waste site and must be buried, thus contaminating other land and aquifers,and replaced at the cost of $millions).
While some manufacturers claim their products are PFAS-free, this is simply not true. As Dr. Kyla Bennett, Director of Science Policy for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility recently wrote, “There is no “artificial turf management” that is “health-oriented and environmentally responsible.” Full stop. You cannot mitigate any of it.”
Thanks also to Mr. Walsh for mentioning studies undertaken by the group headed by Mr. Harris (founder of Harborwatch at Earthplace). Their recent study of Muddy Brook, by current turf fields, reveals extremely high counts of PFAS (passing through town neighborhoods and aquifers to discharge eventually into the Sound).
This is not an “operations matter”. It is a serious public (and environmental) health matter. All Westporters should be protected, not put at risk, by government.
If Mr.Quatrano has been involved in farming and golf, then this guy’s nickname should be Mr. Westport! Welcome to Westport, Mr. Westport.
It sounds like Mr. Quatrano has great experience and is an excellent addition to the Parks and Rec Dept.
However, I agree with those that have expressed concern over adding AT fields. I won’t repeat the specific issues outlined by other commenters, but as was stated, unfortunately there is no safe option when it comes to artificial turf for the health of the kids playing on it and the health of our environment. There is a multitude of articles and scientific analysis that points to the toxicity of these fields. The ones claiming that there are “safe” options are generally sponsored by the turf field industry.
As was said, at the end of the fields’ life, there are no disposal methods that do not contaminate soil, air and water.
I am hopeful that with his experience with natural grass, Mr. Quatrano will help us to find a way to increase our grass field usage rather than opt for AT.
Dan – As you made the editorial judgment to publish the photo of a turf field next to a heavily used grass field, I’ve tried to upload here other relevant photos including the clumping of plastic blades and infill all over Wakeman field last year- but am unable to do so (sorry).
When asked to explain this dangerous mess, Michael West replied: “In short the TPE infill is clumping together in high heat. The remediation is removal of the clumping material and replacement with new infill.” HIgh heat. It turned out that heavy rain also caused the same issue. (Actually, the field and others where this happened had to be replaced.)
You might also want to include readily available photos of turf burns and mrsa infections incurred on turf fields. The burns occur from friction when people slide or fall on turf fields; staph is often found on skin and enters through the burns. Turf is also conducive to its proliferation. (I didn’t even try to include photos – they are pretty gruesome even on Halloween.) Mrsa has become, of course, a large public health hazard.
Hi Wendy,
I made the editorial judgment to use that photo because the subject of the story mentioned both grass and artificial fields, and this showed both.
Commenters can’t add photos. But feel free to post hyperlinks to photos you’d like readers to see. They can then click on the links themselves.
I am amazed at this late date to still see that artificial turf is still getting renewed support as a safe alternative to grass. The downsides to using this product in providing new fields for sports is clearly presented by Vallerie Jacobs, Jamie Walsh and Wendy Batteau. Medical science continues to find new reasons to avoid artificial turf as the listing of health issues grows almost on a weekly basis. So far, science has identified issues with various forms of cancer, contact injuries, overheating, water pollution and disposal of won out fields after 8 years. Do we bury them and pollute ground water or store them endlessly in a warehouse? There is no recycling and there are no PFAS free fields! Why do we perpetuate the myth of artificial turf with the possibility of compromising our children’s health?
How refreshing it is to hear a Parks & Rec staff member express an interest in improving the deteriorated, long-neglected condition of Baron’s South. This is truly unique. I jumped for joy when I read that Nick is willing to consider a “woodland garden, with native trees and improved walking trails.” I’ve been an advocate for the preservation and conservation of Baron’s South’s grounds and buildings for what now amounts to “decades.” I’ve walked the talk and talked the walk. Yet the grounds have continued to receive zero maintenance, invasive plants have proliferated and taxpayer-funded plans and proposals have gathered dust. I welcome Nick’s energy and interest in making, at the very least, a start at Baron’s South. Nick, I’d be happy to walk with you in Baron’s to tell you all about it’s historical significance and how it influenced the site. I can also fill you in on all I’ve gleaned along the way as an advocate for the conservation of its passive-use open space. The same offer holds true for Winslow Park. You have my contact info.